Glacier

When the tour company told us the tour was a "Glacier Walk" I imagined a worn out trail that would get us close to the glacier. Maybe we would get to walk on it but even then it would just be flat and  boring.

I was wrong.

Coming to Alaska during a warm winter with little snow looking out over the sparkling white glacier was amazing (I'm going to try not to use this word a lot but it will be hard.)

We drove from Anchorage, about 2 hours, and were now inching our way down a long, winding, snow covered drive that would take us to the Matanuska Glacier.

We made a quick pit stop to buy tickets and sign our life away on a liability waiver. Everyone jumped back into the bus to drive just a little bit further to a small building overlooking the Glacier where we would meet our guide.

After a few safety tips, like stay on the trail, and a few fun facts, like how glaciers form, we were fitted with micro cleats to keep us from slipping in the snow. We started out on the trail. Yes, the trail was well worn but that worked in our favor. The first 15 minutes were delightful. We walked along the trail ooing and aweing at the beautiful snow we were being deprived of on the other part of our trip. We walked across little rolling hills of snow that brought us closer to the glacier.

Soon the guide stopped us in front of one of the little hills that looked like one side had been cut off. The bare side revealed solid ice. This where our guide informed us we had been walking on the Glacier for several hundred feet now.

Over the next hour and a half we visited breathtaking examples of mother nature's ice sculpting skills. Small caves fortified by icicles, giant spikes of ice reaching into the sky and crevasses carved deep into the ice.

We climbed more little hills that got higher and steeper as we went. We were rewarded for our efforts on our return trip by getting to slide down the hills. Let that sink in for a minute, we got to slide down a snow covered ice hill, on a glacier. Wow.

The views were otherworldly and the colors were beautiful, white, baby blue, deep blue, turquoise and grey all running through the ice. Placing your hand on the ice it felt like nothing, it was bearly cold and the heat from your hand wasn't enough to melt the ice unless you held it there for several seconds.

Amazing, just amazing. It defied my expectations and expanded my imagination  (and I have a pretty good imagination). I would do it again in a second and drag along anyone that would be willing.

Sincerely yours, Lady of Adventure